E&I are considering a review of Guernsey’s speed limits as it starts prioritising its work for this term of office.
Answering questions around road safety issues in the States this week, the President of the Committee for the Environment and Infrastructure confirmed speed limits are on the agenda.
“When developing its areas of work for this political term, consideration will be given to the need for and potential scale of work to further review speed limits across the island,” said Deputy Adrian Gabriel.
“However, the Committee is mindful that the implementation of any recommendations of the speed limit review will incur cost, which will vary depending on the scale of work carried out, therefore, the Committee will ensure that any potential work balances the requirement for road safety improvements alongside wider resource implications,” he added.
Deputy John Gollop had asked Deputy Gabriel a number of questions around the safety of pedestrians at times when vehicles have to mount pavements, and whether more roads should be made one way or parking on the street banned.
He pushed Deputy Gabriel on whether E&I would look at speed limits as a priority as part of efforts to improve road safety for everyone.
“Of course, everyone wants to be safer on the roads and also use our roads for whatever purpose be that economic or even just general transport of getting people to and from workplaces or businesses or even schools,” acknowledged Deputy Gabriel. “Again, it is a fine balance about prioritisation. We have already heard from the Vice President of P&R about financial restraint and the need for that, and when the budget is published on October 7 that is going to drive priorities for the next year, and strategy over the next three to four years, and that will come into play when assessing whether we need to review the speed limits or not.”
Deputy Gabriel stressed: “We’re still assessing our priorities for the term, and again, I’m mindful again of the financial warning and also putting in a request for extra staff and extra funding to review speed limits is perhaps not the best use of all of our committees time considering all of the other aspects in the mandate.”
Deputy Gabriel had earlier confirmed that E&I was not minded to make more roads one-way in response to concerns about motorists mounting pavements, as he said that can encourage drivers to move faster instead.
“Some people have said to me, ‘why don’t we make two way roads one way or have a one way system?’ The problem with implementing a one way system is that it removes the jeopardy for car drivers, and t could increase speeding and other road safety issues, so the introduction of one way streets is certainly not something that is recommended carte blanche.”
That topic and the issue of fining motorists for driving ‘too fast’ along pavements has been raised multiple times previously and it was confirmed in the States this week that E&I and Home Affairs have already made arrangements to hold a joint committee meeting to address them.
“It is a work in progress,” said Deputy Gabriel.